


Fangs and Stitches

by Chloe_Creep, SunniApplePie



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-01-29 07:45:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12626388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chloe_Creep/pseuds/Chloe_Creep, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunniApplePie/pseuds/SunniApplePie
Summary: Goblins and ghoulies lurk a dark gothic world; a place where vampires loom in the shadows, corpses walk among the living thanks to science gone wrong, trains take the souls of unsuspecting victims, and witches soar the skies to find precious items for their wicked spells.Three stories culminate into one and what happens in each will scare and shock even the strongest of hearts.Based on Ghoul Grumps (not like the Ghoul Grumps/Spook Grumps au, but the legit Ghoul Grumps mascots for Halloween lol)





	1. Playing God

“Hold the lantern up higher, I can't see down here” 

“If I do, people might see us Brian! You don’t want to get in trouble for grave robbing again! They said if they caught you one more time, they’d throw you in jail!” 

“Then the trick is just not to get caught, Holly”

Holly groaned, lifted up the lantern ever so lightly. The dark graveyard surrounding them was vast and unoccupied, save for the miles of buried bodies and corpses dug below the ground. There was mist covering the earth, and the moon was full; a perfect night for digging. Brian’s shovel kept wedging itself into the cold dirt at each swing. 

“Exactly how long do we have to do this again? I’d rather not stay out till the wee morning hours…” Holly mumbled.

“As long as it takes. This is the most important part Holly, we need a brain” Brian sighed.

“Is this gonna be like the last one? We had to clean exploded body parts off the walls for months...”

“This will be different! That one was just a prototype” Brian frowned. Holly rolled her eyes and looked away. 

“It stills smells like decaying blood in there” she muttered. 

“Shush, I think I hit gold.” Brian smirked, digging up one more large pile of dirt before pointing down for Holly to see. There was an old, grey slab of rotting wood beneath the dirt. Holly grinned and looked back at him. 

“Jackpot” She giggled.

“Help me pull it up.” Brian advised. Holly nodded as she placed the lantern down and used her strength with Brian to pull the wood upwards. It quickly snapped in half in her hands. Brian wiped away a bit more dirt before nodding at Holly. 

“Hand me the saw” he said. 

Holly pulled out the copper colored saw from her bag. “Saw.” 

Brian took it by the handle and bent down to get to work. 

As Brian cut into the ground, Holly turned her head to the eerie echo of something...like a train whistle?

“D...Do you hear that?” Holly asked.

“I can’t from down here. What does it sound like?” Brian asked, not faltering from his work.

“Like, a whistle of a train? But, none are in service right now, right?” Holly questioned.

“A train whistle? But that...shit, we gotta hurry” Brian started to saw faster. 

“Wha-why?” Holly asked as she bent down to the foot of the hole.

“I’ll explain once we get the fuck out of here. Take this” Brian sawed one last time before pulling. The top part of the scalp popped out with the brain still attached it. 

Holly already looked like she would throw up while Brian handed her the organ.  


“Ew ew ew ew ewwww! It’s all slimy!” she whined as Brian climbed out. 

“That’s the idea! Come on.” Brian said, grabbing the bag of equipment and his shovel as Holly followed with the scalp and brain in her hands. He sprinted through the graveyard, his assistant following in tow and staying close as the whistle grew louder. 

“Brian?!” Holly asked in worry. “What is that?!”

“Now is the time for running, not a pop quiz, Holly!” 

The sounds of a train chugging down a set of tracks came into Holly and Brian’s ears as they darted for the exit. It came frighteningly close until Brian ran through the gates, slammed them from behind, and grabbed Holly to pull her out of the way from whatever was incoming. The loud clang of the cold metal hardly drowned out the noise from the train. It sounded as if it was on top of them, but there was no locomotive in sight. 

Holly and Brian stayed silent as the locomotive noise passed by them like a bullet, and once it was out of earshot, they quietly stood next to the cemetery gates, letting the silence stay for a few moments.

Holly, while still holding the brain took a few steps forward and then turned to face her boss.

“Okay. What the hell was that?” Holly frowned. 

Brian let out an annoyed sigh as he looked through the bag. “It was nothing.” Holly’s eyes went wide. 

“Nothing? That was not nothing! Are you seriously not going to tell me?!” 

"It's something you wouldn't believe."

"Right, and me with a mad scientist in a spooky cemetery collecting body parts isn't something I'd believe either." Holly showed the lumpy organ in her hands. 

“God, alright, since you won’t let up until I tell you...It was the Scream Train.”

“The S-...Wait, what’s that?” 

“It’s a train that takes the souls of passerbys. To who knows where.” Brian said gravely. 

Holly’s face went white. 

“S-Seriously?”

“Yeah. If we hadn’t have gotten away, our souls would have been taken right out of our bodies and ripped in.”

Holly shivered at the thought of her flesh being a pile on the ground with nothing inside.

“So we just almost died for a stupid mass of nerve tissue?!”

Brian shrugged nonchalantly. 

Holly replied with an annoyed groan “This can’t be worth 40 pounds a week.”

“It will be once our new creation is done. Now come on, we have a lot of sewing to do”

Holly frowned, trying not to drop the slippery brain and scalp “Ugggggghhhhhh okay.”

~~~

“Brian, it's happening again! The villagers are yelling about how much of a monster you are, and they- WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! It’s a goddamn thunderstorm! Get off the roof!” Holly screamed, one hand still holding the door lock closed. 

“I have to get some lightning!! Give me a second!!” Brian called, handling a wire and tying it onto a raggedy kite.

“BRIAN!” Holly screeched. He may have been the smartest scientist she knew, but god, he was an idiot sometimes. 

Brian strung the wire tightly and sent the kite flying, sending it into the sky as thunderclaps shattered the night’s silence. Ranting villagers were pounding on the door from outside, trying to force their way past Holly. 

“Almost….there!” Brian yelled, seeing a bolt of lightning zap the kite, sending a wave of electricity down the wire towards the workshop downstairs. People were screaming from below.

“You've stolen from our relatives, our ancestors!” 

“You're defying god!” 

Brian smirked before nearing the ledge of the roof and starting to laugh. 

“If I defy god, why has he gifted me with his electric sky?! Why has he aided my creation in life?! God is on my side!” 

“You son of a bitch!”

“Give back our fathers and sons!”

“I have only made them better. You only let their bodies rot! If have given them new life! I  **am** God.”

Holly was about to call up to Brian, but the electricity surged through the tabletop where their experiment laid lifeless and cut her off. It was now twitching and bouncing with surgical zaps. The lights grew in brightness and intensity as Holly covered her eyes from the sudden burst. She couldn't tell what was louder as she tucked her head away to protect herself; the villagers screams, the electricity, or Brian’s laughter.

Suddenly everything went black and the sound of an explosion shoot the entire building. 

Everything seemed to go quiet. 

It seemed even the rain silenced. 

Once a few minutes had passed, one form stood up from the fallen debris that served as a hiding place.  

Holly lifted her head up to look around. 

The lab looked ruined and burnt, and various concoctions and failed experiments laid scattered and broken everywhere. The smell of gas oil and traces of flesh filled the air. She shook her head to get rid of some of the small bits of pebbles that was littered throughout her hair. Holly coughed and slowly moved around the wood blocking her way, before her heart sunk.

The table where the experiment once laid was empty.

“Oh no...uhh...Brian?” Holly called. No response.  


Holly began walking around the shattered glass on the floor “Brian...?” 

Still no call back to her. 

Holly’s teeth clenched tight before she heard the sound of moving boards and groaning. She quickly ran over to the corner where the wood was slowly being pushed off, and helping to pull. 

“Oh, shit Brian, are you okay?! How'd you get trapped under here? You could've died!” Holly frowned before finally tossing off the log. 

Her heart stopped. That wasn't Brian.

She immediately backed up, almost tripping on something behind her as she grabbed the wall. “B-Brian?! H-Help?!” 

Slowly, the monster of flesh and corpses rose from the rubble, quickly spotting Holly and slowly starting to lurch towards her.

“AhhHHHH!! S-Stay back!” Holly cried. 

It didn't listen to her demands. It inched closer, stumbling but getting faster with each step. Holly tried to run, but there was just too much destruction in the way. She was trapped.

Covering her eyes, she could only wait to meet her maker. 

Suddenly the monster stopped in its tracks. 

Holly dared to peek through one eye, and look upon the frozen beast.

Brian had come up from behind it, and held tightly to its shoulder so the monster wouldn’t move any further towards Holly. He was covered in soot and his hair was burnt on its tips, still lightly smoking.

“Brian…” Holly would hardly make out her words, her words sounding near the edge of tears from the fright.

“Relax.” Brian said firmly, as he had the monster face him. The monster was tall in stature, somewhat bulky, and swayed gently from a lack of balance. It was stitched up from its arms to its face, while the thread held together decayed green and pale white skin, or what could be called skin. Brown raggedy hair and matching beard, with a single blonde streak, probably from the electrical shock, and to finish it off, two sets of mismatched eyes, dark yellow and fluorescent blue.

“It...it worked” Holly mumbled. 

“It’s alive…” Brian grinned. 

The monster looked at the two people in curiosity and mild fear, while Brian kept his grip on his shoulder. It looked at Brian and moaned before Brian laughed. 

“Alright, I’ll let you go, but first, you can’t hurt Holly. That’s an order. Got it?”

“W...Will it even understand you?” Holly questioned.

“It should, or at least be re-adjusting to hearing words again. If it doesn’t understand me now, it will in about an hour or so” Brian shrugged. 

The monster looked at Holly before moaning again. Brian decided to let it go and the monster tried to touch Holly lightly with its hand. She stiffened to its outstretched fingers before it made contact. It was...surprisingly gently, cupping her cheek gently and moving the hair out of her face. 

Holly blinked at this but didn’t try and run away.

“Good monster.” Brian said lowly, tapping the monster’s shoulder.

“Does...Does it have a name or is it just ‘monster’?” Holly wondered. 

“Hmm...calling it 'monster' would get old fast. Let’s see…” Brian wondered. The mad scientist looked over the bulking experiment and mumbled various names he could use “Hmm...the size of him could be reminiscent of the name Arnold, but he doesn’t look like an Arnold. Maybe a Ezekial, no no. Will? no...Mark, nah...it’d have to be something meaning big or...strong willed...or mighty like a mountain...wait, I got it!” Brian smiled and walked around to the front of it with Holly, “Arin. It’s perfect” 

“Arin?”

“Yes, it’s a Hebrew word meaning ‘mountain of strength’. It’s PERFECT.”

“I didn’t know you knew Hebrew.”

“I knew someone who did once. But that’s not important right now.” Holly nodded and turning back to their monster. 

“Well Arin...you’re going to make our dreams come true” she grinned. 

“Uhhh?” Arin mumbled.

“Exactly. Arin, you’re going to help us, with a little...task.” Brian said. 

Arin gave a slow, heavy nod. 

“What are we having him do?” Holly asked Brian. The scientist grinned.  


“Revenge. We’ve created an indestructible killing machine, who obeys our every will. This village will be ours in a matter of minutes.”

"How would-"

"-That be accomplished? Simple. We teach him to fight for us. And when the moment is right, we step in and order around these monkeys like we were meant to." 

“He’d need to know how to even do damage…” Holly shrugged.

“Look at him already! He's huge and fearsome! I'm sure we’ll need a day tops to make him a destructive weapon”

"If you say so...what do you think, Arin?"

Arin blinked. He had no idea what anyone was even talking about.

"Uhhhh!"

"I shall take that as a yes." Brian smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, one of the big projects me and Chloe have been working on for almost a year! This was supposed to come out on Halloween to better fit the theme, but I had ZERO time to post it DX  
> Anyway, hope you like it guys! :D LET THE SPOOKINESS COMMENCE!


	2. All Aboard!

Deep in an alleyway, tucked behind the walls of the city, a shrouded figure walked slowly down the walkways, keeping his head and face covered as he made his way through the night. His hair hung in his face, yet anyone could still see the red glimmer in his eyes from far away. If any were to encounter him, they better pray they'd be far away. Just maybe they'd have a chance of survival.

His red eyes darted from left to right, making sure his path was clear. And in a flash, he ran through the street at an alarming speed. Lucky for the villagers, he didn't feel hungry, so the only thing that made his presence aware was a split second of shadow gone in a blink.

 

~~~

“More coal! Come on, we gotta keep this thing going!”

“Calm your tits, Ross” 

“How can we, I'm losin’ limbs here!”

“Yeah yeah, alright. Just a second” the tip of the shovel buried into the pile, but the two were stopped in their tracks when Ross noticed something out the front window. It took him a moment to register before he grinned slyly.

“On second thought, slow us down. Looks like someone’s climbing aboard” 

Barry stiffed, looking at Ross in confusion. But his questioning was cut short by the sounds of the engine door being knocked on. Ross quickly snapped his detached arm back in place to look more formal. He strode up to the door and pulled it open.

What followed inside was someone Barry had never seen before, not even in his undead life. It was a woman, slender and elegant-like in her strut. She wore a cape,had bright blue iris in her cat eyes, long black hair tied back underneath a purple witch hat, and a pair of dark black monarch butterflies flying behind her.

“Ah...Ross. How's my favorite rotting flesh monster?” She said with a slight laugh in her smooth voice.

Ross giggled, or at least it would be if it didn't sound like he was gargling. Before he could supply an answer however, the woman’s eyes suddenly met the coal shoveller’s.

“Hmmm...do you have a name, coal boy?” His throats stiffened. It was like her eyes didn't just see his, but looked deeper. 

“U-Uh...it's Barry…” he managed to cough out.

“Barry...interesting.” the witch came up to him and looked him over, eyeing him up and down. He was a little bit different than the ghouls she usually saw; he wasn't falling apart like Ross was. Yet he looked very much dead: his skin being green like a corpse and blotches of red all over. 

“So did Ross scam you into this?” She asked.

“I uh...guess? He was looking for a helper...beats being in purgatory I guess…” the woman laughed again before she turned back to Ross.

“While I'd love to stay and chat, this is purely for business. Are you taking any jobs Ross?” She asked.

“Well uh...not recently. We haven't really done that for a while” Ross mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Aww what a shame…” the witch said, lightly puckering her lips.

“W-What do you need the job for? Aren't you, a witch?” Barry asked meekly.

“Oh yes! A very busy one though. And I don't have time for mischievous little vampires who think they can steal my things” 

“Vampires, ey? Ooohh, I think I know the one you mean…” Ross grumbled.

“Who?” Barry blinked. Suzy glanced at Barry for a moment and smiled. 

“My, you must be fresh meat. Doesn’t even know who Leigh Daniel Avidan is?” she tsked. 

“...No? Why, is he...well known?”

“Very” there was a bit of a growl in her voice, obvious she was very pissed about this vampire at the moment. 

“I haven't seen any Leigh...sorry miss…”

“Don’t be. Being dumb and being naive are two different things” she smiled before looking back at Ross, “So would you be up for helping me? I of course would pay you finely”

“Pff, what would you pay me in? There's little a flesh eating zombie can use money with.” Ross smirked.

“I wasn’t talking about money” she winked, “but you know it nevers hurt to have a witch owe you a favor”

Ross grinned, showing his blood stained teeth. “Anything for you, Madame. You've always been good on your word.”

“Perfect” she held her hand out for Ross to shake, “Just get that stupid blood sucker for me” 

“Will do” Ross shook her hand, however it was cut a bit short by his arm coming off and her hand still holding his. She laughed and quickly snapped it back in. 

“Then I’m sure I can count on you. I’ll return in three days to see your progress” and with a quick snap of her fingers, the girl disappeared. 

“W...What are we supposed to do?” Barry asked. 

“We’re supposed to fight and capture” Ross explained, “This is our main priority now” 

“What about the schedule? We have like…’ Barry looked through the scroll of paper with a list of names ‘10 more people to reap tonight on this part of town.” Ross sighed and reached up, biting his thumb. He accidentally bit it off, slipping it into his pocket. 

“As long as we’re fast...we’ll need to be to catch him”

“You think we can make it before morning?” Barry asked.

“...maybe” Ross sighed. 

“Well, I guess we should get going then. Let's go” Barry then began to shovel some coal into the blue fired engine, making the train go a bit faster.

“You’re on double duty Bear, this will be a long night”

“I'll race you, whoever gets the most souls tonight, gets first choice of food later on break.” 

  
“You’re on!” 


	3. Monster from the Slab

“So you're name is…” Brian questioned. It took the monster a moment, scratching its head before sitting up.

_**“Aaaaaarin!”**_ It said, proud that it remembered this time. 

“Still having a bit of trouble with its ‘a’ sounds, huh?” Holly guessed.

The two 'creators' of the monster called Arin examined the risen corpse from his seat on the wooden table. They had been training the monster to be the best he could be for the past few months, teaching him how to defend and more importantly, to attack. Brian anticipated this would be the final day they go through the training process before he would let Arin free and begin his plan.  


The night fell fast, as Brian heard Holly mildly yawning while the moon glowed from the overhead opening of the roof.

“It's natural. His vocal chords and the new muscle tissue aren't used to making those sounds yet.” Brian said.

“I don't get why you're making such a big fuss over teaching it to talk. You've already trained it to fight, why would it need to speak?” Holly wondered.

“Because, if we need to find a way to stop it, having it be able to understand us is key.” 

“Why didn't you developed like, an on off switch and program it into his brain?” Holly suggested.

“It's a fragile process.”

Holly raised an eyebrow “Try me.”

“Okay, there's a 99.9999% chance the circuits could fry his brain once it's powered on.” Brian rolled his eyes.  


“Oh. Well, that'll be a last resort then” she shrugged, “Plus we could always get a new brain” 

“And teach it everything over again? Holly, I'm a busy man, I can't always be spending time on one experiment.”

“You've spent time on one experiment for 8 months” she frowned, crossing her arms.

Brian rolled his eyes in a annoyed fashion “I mean, I have a lot of ideas yet to be realized. That's why I keep my options open.”

“Okay, okay. At least dominate the townsfolk first before you move onto your next brilliant endeavor” 

“Right. Priorities first.” Brian smirked. He patted Holly on the head before looking over Arin's sewed up skin, or what was left of it.

“Are you going to make us both proud Arin?” He asked.

Arin had the expression of a child, he smiled wide and nodded **_“Yeeeaaa!”_**

“Good job. Do you think you're ready?”

“Wait...are we doing it...right now?” Holly blinked. 

“Only if he thinks he can handle it. I mean, he can already fight and understand simple phrases. Plus we don't have much time before the villager’s fear runs off and they fight back again. With enough preparation, they'd get wise. And we don't want that, do we Arin?”

**_“Aaaarin….maaaake….proud...Briiiiiaaaaan.”_ **

“Perfect. I can't wait for you to make us proud. Do you want to make me proud tonight?” Brian questioned.

Arin nodded quickly and pointed to Holly **_“Maaaake….Holly….proud….too?”_** Brian turned to Holly and winked. Holly hesitated before smiling. 

“Oh yes. You'd make me proud too” she grinned.

Arin grinned wide, and nodded, filled with naive determination **_“I...go...fight.”_**

“Really? Oh, that's great. I uh...I bet you'll do amazing” Holly chirped before looking at Brian, “Are you sure he's ready?”

“I'd say so. He certainly seems to be.” Brian replied. “And if we wait any longer, our window will close.” Holly glanced between the grinning monster and Brian before sighing and nodding.

“Alright. I trust you. The sunset is approaching, we need to start preparations now” Holly said. 

“Right. Arin, it's time.” Brian said gravely, leading Arin towards the entrance of the house.

**_“Tiiiime! Tiiiiime!”_** Arin cheered, clapping his hands. 

Holly followed behind them, trying not to show the frown sneaking in. 

It wasn't that she didn't have faith in Arin. 

It was just that this may be their only shot. 

But she had to listen to Brian.

“Alright. Holly, pull the latch on my mark.” Brian advised.

“Yes sir” Holly nodded, walking up into her position.

“Arin, listen. You, are a monster. That's your role. And as a monster, you have to go out and fight. Fight with every ounce of power in your body. You wanna make us proud. You understand?” Brian said, gripping Arin's shoulders and glaring at him with a serious expression. Arin hesitated, but smiling and nodded. 

**_“Mon’er!”_** He grinned. 

Still need a bit of work on the ‘st’ sound, though it didn't matter now.

“That's right.” Brian grinned. “Now...go out there and be a monster!”

**_“Yeeeeaaaaa!”_** Arin smiled, tromping up to the door.

“PULL THE LEVER, HOLLY!” 

Holly nodded and with a mighty pull, she threw open the two double doors.

They swung apart, and in a matter of moments, Arin had on a deadly game face as he stomped out into the town square, screaming like a raging beast. More shrieks followed, all from the people surrounding.

Soon, the town was in hysteria, frantically running from the hulking creature running amuck for all they know, would kill someone with little effort. Their only saving grace was that Arin was somewhat slow.

Arin grinned menacingly and growled at the fearful villagers, while the men began to run into their homes for weapons to repel the beast. 

He kept screaming, kept running and slashing and- wait, what was that?

Something caught his eye, something bright and colorful, illuminating hues he had never seen before. Holly showed him one of those once...but hers was in her hair and she said it was ‘paper'? This one, was in the grass, smelling sweet and interesting and looked pretty enough to touch. Arin stopped running and suddenly bent down, slowly and carefully reaching out and touching the tiny flower. It was surprisingly soft, albeit a bit waxy. His eyes perked up at the new feeling as Arin felt a petal between his thumb and index finger.

"He's distracted!"

“Back away, beast!!” Someone called from behind him; Arin let go of the flower. He turned and looked at the scared and angry faces of the villagers. Most of them were dark with only the moon’s illumination, but a few of them had...had something bright. 

“Go back to the wretched hellhole you came from!!” Another person yelled, followed by hollers of agreement from the angry crowd. What were they talking about? Arin didn’t come from a hole. And the place he did come from certainly wasn’t wretched. 

“Let's just get him!”

“Are you insane?! Do you know what he'll do to you?”

“He might grind your bones for his bread!” Arin blinked, very confused. Bread? 

"He's dangerous!"

"Be gone, you colossus!" 

More people yelled along. Arin tilted his head gently. The villagers weren’t fighting him back...why weren't they playing the fighting game that Brian taught him? He said they’d fight back. 

“Be gone! We're warning you!” 

“We're not going to let this thing destroy our homes!” Arin hesitated before looking back down at his flower, then at the people. They were all staring, yelling, pointing.

But not fighting. 

Arin began to move a bit closer towards them, maybe they would fight back if he did?

**_“Aaaaaaaah….”_** Arin sounded out, causing people to gasp. 

“Kill it!”

"Back away!"

“Someone! Do something!” A woman shrieked. 

Suddenly someone standing in the crowd moved a long wooden stick with...something bright on the end towards Arin at a rapid speed. Arin started at it before lifting his arm to touch it. It suddenly hit his skin. He cried out in pain as his rotting flesh started to burn. 

“Fire hurts the beast! Get more torches lit!” someone called into the crowd. 

Arin put his other hand on the burn, it stung as much as when the bright light was on it. He groaned in pain and saw the other people start grabbing more sticks, and glowing yellow lights came alive on the tips. 

Brian said this game would be fun. 

Did he lie? Or were they not playing back? Either way, something inside of Arin told him he needed to run, now. 

Soon the crowd started heading back for Arin, as the monster frightfully began to run away in the opposite direction. He held tight to his burnt arm, still moaning from its soreness. He had to get to Brian, Brian will know how to fix this, right? 

But what if he’s mad? What if he’s upset that Arin didn’t make him proud? 

**_“Briiiiiii-”_** Arin called before a noise entered his ears and an object came right for him but missed and hit the grass with a loud bang. He started running faster, farther and farther away from home. But the people and the loud noises and the living yellow was that way, he couldn’t turn around. 

As the beast hurried away from the town, a figure peeked from the darkness of a nearby alley, watching the spectacle unfold in silence. Things this exciting never really happened around there. The last thing to come close was when three drunkards harassed the village people. But this, now this was interesting. 

Arin, still gripping his arm and trying to head for the woods, turned behind as the crowd of people began to throw random objects towards him, one glass object hitting him right in the back. He let out an agonizing cry and went down to his knees. The figure raised an eyebrow as the creature stopped moving, and the mob approached. 

Looks like the fun was being cut short....

Hmm…

“Burn the demon!!”

“Send it back to hell!”

“He's too monstrous to be on this earth!”

Now that seemed a bit harsh. This little show was already going to end? But it had just began! 

Though it didn’t have to, with a bit of intervention perhaps. 

The mob held up their torches and had circled around the unconscious monster, ready to toss them upon his unmoving body. The figure suddenly sprang up into the air, soaring over the crowd and landing with the rotting body lying on the ground beside it. The mob shared a collective gasp as some back away, while others ran off screaming. 

He was tall and slim built as he pulled down the hood that concealed his face from the lantern lights of the village. A mop of curled brown hair bounced down his shoulders, it complimented his pair of bright ruby eyes and a handsome yet deadly face.

“A-Another one?!”

“Away with you, heathen! Your kind aren't welcome!”

“What are you saying?! He'll kill us all!! Everyone, run!” 

The man bared his long sharp fangs and talons, sending more people running. The idiots who stayed behind didn’t need their blood anyway, and he got a hearty snack of three meat-headed boys who had too much pride. 

Once the people had fled and the bodies laid lump on the grass, he looked down at the knocked out beast beside him, glancing at the shards of glass sticking out from his backside. There were more than one large pieces with black liquid coming from the punctures, slow like molasses. He could tell it was still alive, the breathing was short but not gone. He gave it a gentle kick in the monster's side. 

“Hey."  


Nothing.

"HEY' he said with more force 'Big guy, you gonna make me carry you?” he asked. 

The monster didn't reply. Obviously. 

The fanged man groaned and took a few steps back from the fallen beast. 

“Alright fine. Let's get you patched up.”

He gripped under the unconscious frankenstein and lifted it over his shoulder with little effort.

“Man, I’m way too nice” He sighed to himself, before wiping off the remaining blood from his chin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge, and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be his world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow.”   
> -Mary Shelley: Frankenstein


	4. Wrapping Things Up

**_“Aaaaaaahhh!”_ **

“Oh hush. They're almost out.”

**_“Huuuuurts…”_ **

“As it should. But that's what happens when you invade a town full of uneducated townsfolk.” The fanged man replied matter-of-factually. Arin's exposed back twitched in pain as the vampire used a pair of long tweezers to pull a pesky shard of glass from the monster's underside. Arin let out another wince while the glass was pulled out with ease.  


**_“I waaanaaa fight…”_ **

“Fight _what_? Who's gonna fight you? You're a behemoth, made of undead body parts. Anyone, and everyone, would either run or try and slaughter you.”

**_“Whyyyy?”_ **

“You want me to be honest? It's because you're not meant to be in this world. Like me. You're different. A stranger among those who call themselves ‘normal'. And you can't escape it. You can't escape them.” 

The vampire expected him to reply back.

Surprisingly, the monster was actually quiet, shutting up and instead looking down at the floor. 

The man pulled a shard out slowly, as Arin groaned as the glass went into a nearby bowl filled with other bits of black tipped shards. The black gunk had a putrid stench, and Arin’s new...acquaintance had a perfume dipped bandana covering their face. 

“Thank god this is almost done. I don't think I can take being around this much dead flesh.” the stranger mumbled.

**_“Sorryyy”_** Arin mumbled quietly.

The stranger sighed, finishing off pulling the last shards and then getting out a few wraps of cloth to clean the mess. He dipped them in a saucer of water and placed them onto Arin's back. The monster let out a yelp at the cold touch, and the vampire tensed up.  


“Wow, you really are a disgusting creature, huh? Those townspeople weren’t lying” he laughed as he wrapped long strips of gauze around Arin's torso, “Though you surely must be used to it by now.”

**_“Noooo….Neveeeeer…”_** Arin replied.

“Was that sarcasm? It’s really hard to understand you” The vampire tilted his head.  


Arin blinked then huffed **_“I….l-learn...to speak….Brriiiaaan….show me...saaays I….nooo...good yet…”_**

“No kidding. He obviously didn’t teach you well. Or how to defend yourself and fight for that matter” the fanged man stated plainly. 

**_“Holly...help toooo…”_ **

“Did they help you after that mob burned you? Or when they knocked you out? No, that was me. I’m still looking for a thank you” 

Arin nodded, going silent again. He then mumbled sadly **_“Thaaank you…”_**

The vampire let out a sigh “You’re welcome. Now come on, big guy, show me how the bandages look.” 

Arin did as he was told, sitting up straight and showing the large wraps around his torso and shoulders. He also looked at the cloth around his burnt arm; it felt a lot better than before.

"Hmm...not bad, I suppose..." The vampire mumbled to himself.

**_“Whaaaaaat….I dooooo….now?”_ ** Arin questioned, rubbing the still sore parts of his arms.

“Now, my big friend, you are indebted to me” the vampire grinned. 

Arin blinked at the vampire, tilting his head **_“Iiiiindebted? What’s thaaaat?”_**

“It means you owe me. See, I saved your life, so now you have to do something for me. It's a little, favor between us. You understand?” 

Arin took a moment to think about it, then nodded slowly **_“Yeaaaah…”_**

The vampire smiled a toothy grin, his fangs peeking out and pressing on his bottom lip. 

“Good, thank you for your cooperation. I have big plans for us, big plans...but first, we need you to do something to get rid of your stench” the stranger groaned. 

_**“Ooooh…”**_ Arin blinked **_“Okaaaay...”_ ** He suddenly looked very discouraged.

“Something wrong, mutt?’ the man asked. 

_**“I….don't….knooow...naaame….”**_ Arin said meekly.

“Name? Oh, right, I almost got wrapped up in your duties. My name is Count Leigh Daniel Avidan Johnson Davidson Larry Travis Blood Sucker the Third” 

Arin just looked at him as if gibberish was all that came out of his mouth. Then he pointed to himself.

_**“.....I Ariiiiiin.”** _

“Arin? Such a strange name. You know what that means?” the vampire with a way too long of a name asked. 

The frankenstein shook his head. **_“Nooo…Briiiiiaaaaan no tell…”_**

“Ah, it actually means Mountain of Strength. It seems quite fitting for someone like you” the vampire smiled. 

Arin lightly grinned at the meaning; it made him feel important somehow. 

**_“Thaaaaaank you Couuuunt, Uhhhh...Couuunt…”_** there was no way he could remember that entire thing. 

The vampire pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“How about just Dan, can you remember that? Is that easy enough for you?” 

Arin nodded gently **_“Daaaaaan…..gooooot it…”_ **

He clapped his hands like a little kid, looking proud of himself for remembering the name. Dan rolled his eyes, but grinned still. Arin may have been naive, but it was hard to get mad at his enthusiasm. 

Which was perfect for a trade with a witch. 


	5. He Reminds Me Of...

“I swear to God, he just VANISHED!” Holly said frantically. 

Her and Brian snuck from their castle hideout to the vast fields on the outskirts of town, in search of their lost project. The sun was peeking over the hills, and morning was close at hand.  


“He couldn’t have! He’s a huge hulking monsters, hulking monsters don’t just disappear” Brian frowned. 

“Well where do you think he went, huh? He just decided to hide out someplace? Even after we trained him those long months.” Holly retorted.

“The villagers couldn’t have taken him down...unless they’re holding him hostage...” Brian pondered. 

Holly gulped “Hostage?! Y...You don't think they're gonna kill him, do you?”

“They wouldn’t dare, though they may bargain with him…” Brian thought. 

“W-We gotta find him! Oh, he's probably scared or worried about us…” Holly sighed.

Brian paced back and forth, ruffling his hair in deep concentration.

“This monster has become more of a responsibility than a weapon” Brian sighed, “Maybe we should trust him to come home on his own. If he doesn't, then he wasn't ready to release, and we can just make a new, better one”

Holly straightened her spine and looked like a worried mother “Brian, he's a good….monster, and we're responsible for him…”

“You don't think I know that? I just...I know we can make a better one” he huffed. Holly’s expression softened. 

“You don't want to admit you cared about him more than you thought you would. You don't want to admit that he could be in trouble, and it's our faults. You're scared that you not only failed, but hurt something you liked, no, loved even” She figured.

Brian's pacing halted and he turned a heel to come within a few inches of Holly's face, looking very offended.

“Don't tell me how I feel, Holly! You forget that I'm your superior, and you don't tell ME how I feel about a creation I made and taught and watched over!” Brian yelled, then turned away from her in anger.

“You're right. I can't tell you. But you did just admit that you taught him, watched over him, you've cared about that thing more than you've cared about anything in years” she said, stepping closer, “You know, even if we do make a newer, better one, we’ll never be able to make another Arin. Not in a million years”

Brian was silent for a few moments, his back was still to Holly. Then, he gently turned to face her; he looked dejected and beaten down. 

“He just...reminded me of Audrey…” Brian muttered.

Holly bit her lip, and meekly put a hand to Brian's shoulder. She didn't know what to say; Holly didn't know much about Brian’s life before they met. Though it did come up that his wife and daughter got separated from him somehow, and Brian has been searching for them ever since.

“Brian…” She gently said. Before she could say more, Brian spoke up. 

“I'm still looking for her, I can't lose Arin too, okay?” 

“We'll...we'll keep looking for him. He can't be far…” Holly tried.

“Right…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back!


	6. We Bought Too Many Brains

“So, what does Mrs. Suzy want us to get again?” Barry asked, wiping the growing sweat from his brow. The hot flames from the ghost locomotive's engine began to heat the car more and more with each passing minute. But, while it was hotter than any mere mortal could stand, the job of a coal boy was never done.  Even for an undead like Barry.

“A vampire, by the name of Dan. Which...is a stupid name for a vampire anyway, I mean, DAN?” Ross rambled on, leaning up against the wall of the engine."If I could have been a vampire, I'd have renamed myself right when I turned. And be named something awesome like Edward or Damon, or Viago-"

Barry stopped him before he got off onto an hour long tangent.

“But why does she want us to get him? And didn't she say he had something of hers? What is it?” Barry wondered.

“Beats me. Maybe it's some witch relic that she can't find.” Ross shrugged."Witches lose stuff all the time."

Barry nodded before shoveling one last load of coal in the furnace before shutting the small door "Done. Finally."

“I'd say we're good for another couple of hours. You wanna break and eat?” Ross asked.

“You know I do. Do we have any teenager flesh left?” Barry asked, already licking his lips.

“Let's see...we got-” Ross bent over and looked through a nearby crate while he listed its contents out loud “ ran over dogs, a few cats, someone's left arm, and one or two buckets of hands…”

“Hm..." Barry sighed as he tapped his chin, “I guess I could stand to lose a few pounds so...grab me a cat please.”

“Got it” Ross reached into the box, finding a lumpy carcass of what was once a cat and tossed it over to Barry, who caught it perfectly in his hand. “And I wanna eat light so...a hand works for now” Ross finished, grabbing an old hand, slipping off the diamond ring still on its ring finger, threw it over his shoulder and started to nibble on it.

“You and your finger food” Barry groaned as he sunk his teeth into the animal's stomach.

Once he got deep enough, he began to slurp out the intestine like spaghetti noodles.

“So” Ross said, crunching on his meal “How are you likin’ the job?”

“Oh it's great! It's much more fun killing the living than hanging with the dead” Barry smiled, “Plus the meals aren't as good down there”

Ross smirked with a mouthful of finger pieces “That’s pretty good. You know It’s a good thing you came back as a ghoul instead of those poor saps back in the graveyard that go looming and that’s it.”

“What even decides what you become anyway?” Barry asked as he spit a bit of fur out.

“It’s kind of a...work thing? Zombies like me just die and become a bag of flesh, like this. Ghouls, had to have worked as a gravedigger or a mortician, to come back as a ghoul. Did you?” Ross explained.

“I uh...oh well...I don't remember actually…” Barry mumbled.

“Ah. Well, whatever you once were, contributed to you becoming a ghoul. Which to be honest, is cool. I was some shitty beggar before all this. So this is a perk.” Ross chuckled, though it sounded like gargling.

“Ross, can all zombies remember their lives? Can all ghouls like...not? This is all so new and confusing” Barry grumbled.

Ross tapped his chin “Zombies, have like...limited memories. We can remember snippets. The rare ones remember their old lives, while others just kinda remember some things. There's been ones that can't remember a thing but those are far between. Ghouls on the other hand...no idea. Maybe they get a clean slate?”

“That's bullshit” Barry spat, “These rules are bullshit”

Ross blinked at his outburst “Whoa whoa, man...I don’t make the rules. I just know from when I was told them like...years ago”

“But why? Who made them? It's-It's not fair.” Barry frowned, throwing the cat carcass on the floor in defeat.

“I-I mean...it’s...it’s how the world works? Look, I didn't want to be a zombie when I came back. I was really...really scared. And I thought I’d be a freak forever. But, I don’t know, I made friends and things, didn’t suck as much…” Ross tried, coming over to Barry’s side “We can’t really change who were are...but that doesn’t mean we can’t try to improve. I didn’t wanna be a beggar, a nobody, a thief. So, I tried things and improved on myself...you have this whole, new identity you can make for yourself. You just, gotta want to try, to be something.”

“But what if I was something before and I don’t even know? Something important or something that, meant something…” Barry sighed, “Look at me now. I’m eating cats”

Ross rubbed the back of his neck, then came up with something “Why don’t we...create an identity for you? Like, who you used to be?”

“How though? I can’t remember”

“We’ll make one up from scratch” Ross got up and looked Barry over

“Like...okay, you were a...wealthy rich boy in the swamps of Louisiana. You made your living off of rice and bananas, you had hundreds of lovely ladies, and in a wicked stand off, you went down like a hero by jumping out a window! And the paper wrote about you and everything. Boom!”

Barry only sighed and rolled his eyes.

Ross had to try again, “Or maybe, you lived up by the ocean and you went and collected seashells and surfed every day! And then you’d sell the seashells and buy sweets for you and all of the children at a homeless shelter. And then one day you rode the most amazing wave ever and you aced it and everyone cheered and...and you won a surfing competition! But as the wave crashed, you broke your neck and died”

Barry looked at him in puzzlement before he giggled under his breath “That’s ridiculous...”

“Is it? Is it really? Well maybe you were a chef! Best chef around. And you cooked food so good that people form different countries came to try. And then one day a rival chef got jealous and poisoned you! Or maybe-”

“I get it Ross, I get it” Barry said with a half smile.

Ross put his hands on his hips “Well...did that help? Even a little?”

“I guess it did” Barry sighed as he leaned his head to the side “Thanks...though I couldn’t be any of those.”

“Why not?” Ross asked.

“Because I’d be an awesome guitar player at nightclubs and I’d make people happy...a-and I died saving a little girl from uh...from…”

“A bear?”

“Yeah! A bear!”

Ross burst out laughing “I can totally see you giving a bear the uppercut and duking it out!”

“Oh totally. But it got me with a cheap shot. Fucking bear” Barr grumbled.

Ross scoffed “Well if I find that bear, I’m making him into a coat, just you wait.”

“Thanks Ross” Barry grinned.

“Hey of course...we’re pals” Ross ruffled Barry’s hair and checked the time “And as pals, we better get our asses back on this schedule, or we’ll be out of time tonight.”

“Right! Let’s put some pricks in the ground and look for that blood sucker” Barry smiled as he stood.

“Fuck yes!” Ross grinned, running over to the train’s controls and pulling down hard on the train’s whistle, making it screech into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (barely audible) Now we gotta eat them all
> 
> So all aboard the Scream Train!
> 
> [lightning strikes and a woman's scream can be heard]


	7. Double Double Toil and Trouble

“Kersh Flowers...Kersh flowers...Vernon!” 

A small black cat trotted into the room before plopping itself down beside the witch Suzy. It looked up at her with bright blue eyes and meowed at the frustrated witch. It longed for a nice pat behind the ears.

“Sweetie, did you eat the rest of my Kersh flowers again?” Suzy asked. The cat nodded, playing innocent as it laid on its back. Suzy only sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose before reaching down and petting the fur on his head. 

“Aww...I can’t stay mad at that face” she cooed, “But please don’t do that again, okay? Not without my permission?” 

The cat meowed in a somewhat annoyed manner, and curled up in a ball to sleep. Suzy shook her head and sighed quietly before turning back to her shelf. 

“Where could I find some on such short notice…” she muttered under her breath. She shuffled through the random bottles and jars in her cabinet, reading off the names of whatever ingredient was inside but none that were a suitable substitute, however. Sometimes she really regretted her choice when picking out a servant. 

“You’re allowed to chose one outcast, deadbeat mythical” a snotty woman huffed. Though the second she saw Vernon, it was immediate love. Too much love to make such a cute little thing do hard labor. “My dear, why not something more...hard working? There are plenty of ghouls, goblins, chupacabras, anything that would fit you better than a measly cat” someone advised her. But by now there was no turning back, and Suzy was already practically running back to her broom to take her new friend home. 

As she went through the shelves a second time, her cat yawned, but it sounded a little less like a feline than before. It fact, it had a...manly quality to it. 

“I’m sorry Suz...you know those things are like, catnip times a thousand” Vernon yawned as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. The black cat curled up before was now a young man, criss crossed on Suzy’s bed with glasses and messy short brown hair. He yawned again “Do you want me to find any more for you?”

“Could you please? It’d be a big help” she smiled. 

“Will do” Vernon got out of the bed and headed for the door. Suzy noticed out of the corner of her eye that Vernon didn’t fully change back, as a black tail dangled tiredly behind him as he left the room. It was cute things like that that made her smile to herself and tsk. 

After a few minutes he returned with a small handful of Kersh flowers, trying very hard not to become a cat and eat them again “Here ya go, one bushel of Kersh…” His eyes turned to slits as his tail whisked back and forth, biting his lip, “C-Can I have the rest when you’re done? Please?”

“Hmm...maybe.” Suzy smirked, taking the bushel and leading Vernon out of her room and into a larger empty room across the hallway. As she entered inside, a single cauldron boiled on a fire in the center of the room, bubbling green and purple as she stepped closer. She grabbed a handful of the leaves and dropped them into the bubbling brew as Vernon watched with wide, pleading eyes at the rest in her hand. 

The pot started to make a weird hissing noise as the contents of the brew shifted from purple to black to blue in a few moments. Almost finished. Suzy then handed Vernon the last Kersh flowers in her hand, which he took gratefully and quickly. 

“What is this potion for anyways?” Vernon asked, one of the petals still partially peaking out of his mouth. 

“This, is a little gift for my ghoul friends on the Scream Train. It’s a tracking spell; with the essence of whoever they’re looking for, the spell will lead anyone to their whereabouts…” Suzy explained, adding more flakes of various herbs and spices into the brew. After one more handful, she fished around in her pocket before pulling out a long, curly lock of hair. 

“This was all I could snag from him during our last encounter. Though it should be enough” she sighed before dropping the piece into the bubbling concoction. 

Suddenly the pot rumbled and shook, making Suzy back up and put a protective hand in front of Vernon. It spouted fog from its top, the color of dark red, and suddenly stopped as it came to a boil. Vernon instinctively turned back into a cat and ran back behind her legs. 

Suzy carefully approached the cauldron, seeing that the contents inside were slowly evaporating towards the bottom. Quickly, she grabbed a bottle, scooped up the liquid inside, and capped the top with a cork.

“Perfect. Now that vampire doesn't stand a chance.” She smiled before tucking it away in her cloak, “I need to go drop this off, okay Vern?” 

“O-Okay... it won’t explode or anything while you’re gone, right?” Vernon’s voice came out of the timid cat.

“Hmm...no promises” she joked before scratching behind his ears and skipping off. 

Vernon let out a worried meow as a pop from the cauldron spooked him enough to quickly run out of the room.


	8. Lessons Learned

Dan smiled, his fangs peeking out and pressing against his bottom lip. He and the Frankenstein were standing in a large dining area with a long set table and chairs.  


“Now, there are a few things you must learn before you repay your debt to me. Think your tiny little brain can handle that?” he asked. 

Arin thought about the proposal and then nodded **“Yeahh…”**

“Great. Now then, you’re going to have to follow a lot of rules. No talking unless you’re spoken to. Great posture, and-”

**“Whyyyyyyy?”** Arin asked. 

The vampire looked at him with slight annoyance “Because, if you’re going to do a good job, you have to follow what I tell you 100%. You got it?” 

Arin gave a slow, heavy nod. 

“Good! Now march over to that side of the room! Shoulders squared, chin up, high knees” Dan started with arms crossed. 

Arin blinked, and tried to walk to the other side in the way he was told. However it was a bit clumsy and he was very out of balance **“T-This is haaaard….”**

“Squeeze your shoulders!” 

Arin bit his lip and tried again, puffing up his shoulders. He started to walk back to Dan, making some improvement but still wasn’t exactly how he should walk.

**“Liiiiike thisss?”** he asked. 

Dan pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed “I said only speak when you are spoken to.”

Arin slightly cringed at his response, and made his way to the other side of the room silently.

“Alright now, go get me a glass of water” Dan commanded. 

Arin looked around till he found a glass, but with his unbalanced hands, he grabbed onto it but it slipped from under his hand and shattered on the floor “ **Oh...Oh nooo…”**

“What did you do now?” Dan groaned, glaring at the monster with piercing eyes. 

**“I...iiiiiit fell and-”**

“No, it didn’t fall, you dropped it. You did that” Dan said through gritted teeth. 

Arin looked at the broken cup and back at Dan. He then hung his head in shame **“I...I diiid…I did…”**

Dan then faintly heard the sounds of...sniffling? 

“What the...are you…” the vampire stepped forward and bent down to look at Arin’s face. 

The Frankenstein was looking to the side, but in the creases of his eyes were droplets of dark liquid that looked to be his way of...crying. 

“Whoa, whoa, it’s uh...okay…” Dan bit his lip, standing up straight again. 

**“N-N-N-NOOOoooo….I-I...I broke iiiittt!”** Arin wailed. 

Dan took a step back to see Arin cover his face in his hands and hunch over, and let out cries of sadness and grief. The liquid ‘tears’ came seeping through his fingers; he was a complete wreck.

**“I...I-ii-i-i-i’m soooooorrry! I’m s-s-ooo-soorry!!”**

Dan bit his cheek and sighed. This wasn’t helping at all. Arin didn’t even know how to hold a cup, he wouldn’t serve any use to Suzy. But Dan really didn’t know how long it’d take for him to stop so...maybe he could have a  _ little  _ bit of help just once. Danny was running out of time, so one helping hand was his limit. 

Arin let out another cry, then whispered, **“B-Brrriaaan...H-h-h-Hollllyyyyy….I-I-I’mmm...s-s-sorrry…** ”

Dan rolled his eyes before walking up beside him and placing a hand awkwardly on Arin’s forearm, “Hey hey, it’s okay. You’ll never see Brian and Holly again, so you don’t have to apologize to them!” 

This didn’t help Arin at all as he cried even more. 

Dan let out a sigh “Okay that was probably not the best thing to say. Um...Brian and Holly would...be….proud...of you? I mean...you're trying at least. And that says something.”

**“I-I try-y-yy and I tryyyyyyy but I couldn’t e-e-e-even do what I was mmmmAAADE FOR!”** Arin wailed. 

Dan's eyes grew a bit, lightly taking a step back as the monster started sobbing and covering his face in shame. 

“Um...h-hey, come on...don't...don't be so sad about this. You know, um...SOMETIMES...people don't do what they're made for...and they, they turn out okay…” 

Slowly, Arin parted his fingers and peered at Dan through his clouded gaze. 

**“R-...RReally?”**

Dan shrugged “Well yes. I mean...I wasn't made to be a vampire, and yet here I am. I'm doing pretty okay. And you, well, you were made to destroy and all that. But you know what you're doing right now instead?”

**“What?”**

“Helping. And that's...that's pretty good. And not what you were made for, right?”

**“...Right....thaaat’s right…”** Arin nodded before dragging his arm across his face. When he pulled his arm away, black murk was smeared across his cheeks, **“You’re soooo smaaaart”**

Dan chuckled lowly “I wouldn't say I'm smart, but...I appreciate that. Now, how are you feeling?”

**“....Gooooood”** Arin said slowly, small sniffles escaping now and then but surely dying down quite a bit. 

“Good.’ Dan looked over at the mess Arin left and crossed his arms ‘...You know what, I think we've had enough training today. Um...you can go do something while I clean this.”

Arin gave a slow, sluggish nod before strolling off into the house. Danny shook his head before walking over to the wet spot on the rug and picking up each piece of glass around it. Right as he grabbed the last piece however, the small piece sliced a bit of his thumb open, causing him to curse and jam it into his mouth. 

...It kind of tasted good; if good was the taste of old pennies. He quickly took the thumb out, trying not to look at the blood and scanned the room to find something to wrap the wound with. Eventually, he settled on a simple bandage that quickly soaked through, forcing him to have to reapply until the bleeding finally subsided.

It took all his willpower not to want to just get another nip of that red liquid. But then-...no no that’d be weird. He’d basically be eating himself, wouldn't it?    


“Shit...I wish that fucking wand would work. Then this wouldn't-” Dan huffed. 

**“Daaaaaaan! I found a coooool thiiiiing!”** Arin called from the other room. At least that gave him enough of a distraction to get his mind off of considering a strange form of cannibalism. Though when Arin stomped in with the “cool thing” in hand, Dan could practically feel his heart stop...a second time. 

“H-Hey! What are you doing with that?” Dan asked angrily while clutching his wrapped hand. Arin could sense the harsh tone in his voice, drawing back a bit but still retaining some of his excitement. 

**“Plaaaaying** ” he answered. 

“Well you don't PLAY with that thing. It's dangerous, put it back!” Dan frowned. Arin blinked before looking between Dan and the object. 

**“Daaangerous?”**

“Ugh, YES. It's a magic wand, it has MAGIC in it. It's dangerous you know, you could get hurt if you use it wrong. So Put. It. Back.” Dan spat. His natural reaction made him bare his fangs, enough to scare Arin back to putting it back in a few seconds before returning and muttering a sorry. 

Whoever created this thing really didn’t prepare it too well, did they? 

He groaned “Look, Arin. Just...just don't touch things without asking me. Got it?” 

**“Gooooot it”** Arin nodded, before his eyes focused onto Danny’s hand, **“What haaaapened?”**

Dan blinked and looked back at his hand “It's nothing. Just a cut.”

**“It’s all reddddddd”** Arin noticed. The bandage was indeed beginning to soak through again. Danny groaned and pulled off the damp strip, trying to get another as fast as possible. 

Arin then came over to him and bent over, looming on top of Dan while the vampire awkwardly looked up at him. The monster took Dan's hand very gently and said **“Doeeeees it hurt?”**

“I’m a vampire, an everlasting being impervious to pain, of course it doesn’t-” Arin grabbed his hand to get a better look at the cut, causing Dan to squeak at the surge of pain from his wound throughout his hand. 

Arin bit his lip **“Awwwww”** and looked around for something to cover the wound. He eventually decided to rip a part of his shirt end, and wrapped the cloth around Dan's thumb, but not too tight. However, it seemed to compress the slice just enough to stop the blood flow. 

Dan watched him in silence as Arin finished up wrapping the wound. 

The monster lightly smiled **“Ta daaa…”**

“Oh uh...thank you Arin” Dan mumbled. At least there were some things he was good at...maybe they actually had a shot to get him ready in time? Sure, he wasn’t delicate with glasses yet, but the way he wrapped Dan’s finger was so gentle.

**“Holllyyyy taught me hoooow to fix cuts. She's nice.”**

“Holly...she’s your creator I presume?” 

Arin shook his head **“No, she helps Briiiiian.”**

“Brian?” 

**“Yeahhhhhhh. He made meee!”** Arin seemed to brag. 

Dan tilted his head as he watched Arin’s excitement. Who would've thought I monster would be so ecstatic about existing. The vampire had always assumed that all other forms of monsters were like him, in a constant state is torment and longing to once again live. 

**“Briaaan is kind of like my daaaad. He cares a looot. So does Hollyyyyyy.”** Arin sighed. Suddenly, something struck inside of him. A feeling of spite Dan had long since shoved down began to rear its head once again. 

“If he cares so much, why did he send you out alone when you weren’t ready? Why has he not found you yet?” Dan frowned. 

Arin blinked **“He...He must be loookking for meeee….isn't heeee? He...thought IIIII was readdyyyy…”** Danny’s mind snapped back to the night he was turned. The night he was lured, and the life was sucked out of him.

“I can’t tell you what he’s really doing Arin, but just be aware of this.  _ I  _ saved you from the mob. Not him” Dan hissed. 

Arin looked at Dan with large confused eyes **“I knoww…”**

“And he hasn’t even found you yet. Probably gave up” 

**“Buuuut-”**

“Arin, I need to teach you something” Dan started, grabbing his shoulder, “You can’t have faith in people. Right now, the only person you can trust is yourself” He pointed a finger at Arin’s chest. 

**“B-Buuuut...Can’t I trust youuuuuuu?”** Arin wondered. Dan froze. There he faced, the object he planned on trading for the wand, asking if he was trustworthy. Dan took a deep breath through his nose before looking Arin straight in the eyes. 

“Yes” he lied through his teeth. 

Arin nodded slowly and...held Dan's hand. **“Okay…”**

His fingers twitched as the blatant lie squirmed under his skin. 

The feeling would leave soon enough, he just needed to bare this until Suzy left. Then, with a free conscience and a mortal soul, he could move on. 

 


End file.
